I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a surgical apparatus and method for performing a filtering operation for glaucoma. More particularly, the present invention relates to a jig for supporting and guiding surgical tools, such as an oscillating blade, during a filtering operation.
II. Description of the Prior Art
A common debilitating condition experienced by predominantly older people is glaucoma, an eye disease characterized by abnormally high pressure within the eyeball resulting in partial or complete loss of vision. To alleviate this pressure increase in the vitreous humor, several surgical methods have been employed.
One such surgical method requires the initial incision of a rectangular area in the conjunctiva above the cornea to access the sclera. A surgeon would then insert a knife into the scored area and cut into the sclera, the tough white coat of the eye. This cut-away creates a flap having an integral hinge about the cornea. This flap is raised to access the trabecular meshwork layer surrounding the aqueous humor. A fiberoptic laser is used to burn a hole through the meshwork area creating a passage to the anterior chamber. Pressure is stabilized as the hole allows the egress of fluids through the hole underneath the flap and then underneath the skin of the eye. After pressure is stabilized within the eye, the flap is replaced in its original position to cover the hole and sutured. A disadvantage of this previously known method for performing a filtering operation for glaucoma is that a surgeon is required to open the conjunctiva and visualize the sclera for incision. This results in later scarring of the incision site and tends to decrease the success rate of adequate filtration of the aqueous humor.
Another method used to relieve pressure within the vitreous humor is to simply burn a hole through the sclera with a fiberoptic laser. The burning of a hole directly through the outer coatings of the eye into the aqueous humor provides an egress for the fluid without creating a flap in the sclera. A disadvantage of this previously known method is that the fluid leak may be profound and result in complications. Further, the leakage of the fluid may cause a blister in the sclera or conjunctiva which may eventually burst and create an open wound in the eye which may not heal.